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Old 10-18-2019, 01:45 AM   #31
kodama
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Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

That spyderco seems a little bit too bulky for me with the kydex sheet and all the extra metal on the back of the blade.
Here are some blades I have used that work well for me:

Omer mini laser. Great little knife to wear on the arm with good locking mechanism although I still managed to loose it. Also you need to file sharpen the back part of the blade up to the serration since double edged blades are illegal in Europe.


Rob Allen x blade. Perfect in every way. Cuts true anything, good steel and really slim.


Mares Snake the all time classic. Still one of my favorites. Very good steel doesn’t rust easily and perfect for braining larger fish with its slim long blade. I prefer to wear it on the inside of my leg.


Kunai. Fancy short knife in a magnetic sheet. Very good super fast cutting serration and good to carry on the arm.


Picasso Tiger. Another magnetic sheet. Good overall slim and functional. Good serration and cheap.


All of the above cut kelp just fine but the longer blades seem to work best for that purpose and that is why I prefer the Mares Snake when diving in the kelp.

Second place goes to Rob Allen.
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Old 10-18-2019, 06:46 AM   #32
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

I like the look of the Picasso Tiger but in the plastic sheath model. Worried that the black grit magnets attract would build up inside. Could be a bit longer. The snake is nice but serrations and a line cutter would make it better. The tank banger on it is good but if it screws on then it can unscrew like mine did. Thus adding some epoxy to the threads might be a good idea.
From what I can tell the Spyderco Jumpmaster 2 is not a dive knife, doesn't have a line cutter, doesn't look good for braining, the clip seems designed for a leather belt, and $250 MSRP??? Also, have heard that H1 is very corrosion resistant but doesn't hold an edge.
If you want corrosion resistance then titanium is the best. I have the UK blue tang:
https://www.leisurepro.com/Image/Pro...rge/UKTKTB.jpg
Again, glue the knob on.
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Old 10-18-2019, 01:41 PM   #33
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

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Originally Posted by PigStikr View Post
I like the look of the Picasso Tiger but in the plastic sheath model. Worried that the black grit magnets attract would build up inside. Could be a bit longer. The snake is nice but serrations and a line cutter would make it better. The tank banger on it is good but if it screws on then it can unscrew like mine did. Thus adding some epoxy to the threads might be a good idea.
From what I can tell the Spyderco Jumpmaster 2 is not a dive knife, doesn't have a line cutter, doesn't look good for braining, the clip seems designed for a leather belt, and $250 MSRP??? Also, have heard that H1 is very corrosion resistant but doesn't hold an edge.
If you want corrosion resistance then titanium is the best. I have the UK blue tang:
https://www.leisurepro.com/Image/Pro...rge/UKTKTB.jpg
Again, glue the knob on.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. The Spydie definitely isn’t marketed as a dive knife, but that kind of begs the question, what is it that makes any given knife a “dive knife”? As far as I’m concerned, if it’s a knife that I dive with, it’s a dive knife. My issue with a lot of knives that are marketed as dive knives is that, at least in my experience for the things I use them for, they’re really bad at being knives. Which is to say, they’re not designed for cutting. My very first dive knife was a titanium, tanto-point ScubaPro. It only took one entanglement in fishing line for me to realize it was better suited as a BCD decoration than as an actual tool.

Spearfishing knives are a different ballgame, and they’re very good at what we use them for 99% of the time—braining fish. But at least for me, they’re not an optimal emergency tool. They work, sure. But I don’t know that I’d want to bet my life on any of the stiletto blades I’ve carried over the years.

The reason I’m increasingly drawn towards something like the Jumpmaster is because it fits that emergency tool role very well. Sure, it’s not optimal for braining, but it’ll do the job, and most of us carry two knives anyways. Why not have one optimized for cutting and marginal at braining, and one optimized for braining and marginal at cutting? And I tend to find those little notch line cutters to be more of a liability than an asset; for my purposes, I’d rather just have a blade that works.

Again, it’s all just personal preferences, but the more time I spend with my stiletto blade, the more I wish I had something on the other end of the spectrum to balance things out. The Spydie isn’t perfect by any means. If I could only carry one knife, I don’t think that would be it. The sheath also definitely needs some tweaking, but it’s nothing some bungies or aftermarket clips wouldn’t fix. And FWIW, it retails closer to $160. Not that that’s chump change, but I guess my reasoning is when you’re already spending money optimizing your fins, your guns, your wetsuit, etc., why not also optimize your safety equipment? And a lot of us EDC pocket knives around that price range, yet for some reason when it comes to dive knives we often settle for less (myself included).

Maybe I’m way off base, but that’s just something I’ve been chewing on lately.
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Old 10-18-2019, 02:25 PM   #34
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

Dive knives were originally hand made with timber or cork handles, you can see instructions on how to make one in "Dive" by Rick and Barbara Carrier, a book from the mid-fifties.

When full line dive equipment companies began to produce dive knives they had rubber or plastic molded handles and stainless steel blades with various cutting edges. These knives were multi-purpose tools for prying and cutting and often had hammer butts. The next progression during the sixties were knives that dismantled for cleaning as rust developed on the hidden tangs on even stainless steel knives. The post-dive chore was to rinse knives and smear the blade with Vaseline even if they were stainless as some steels were better than others. Edge holding was not great and you had special blades like the Buck "Nemo" that cut well and which required more attention to cleaning. At the other extreme were knives that required no maintenance but were poor edge holders. In the seventies companies like Wenoka introduced line cutters and a range of blades to do different jobs and then we entered a period where knives got smaller and stiletto blades, which had always been around, became more numerous. Sharpened screwdrivers had previously been used to brain fish, but now the dive knife took over that task.
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Old 10-18-2019, 04:26 PM   #35
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

Popgun: The 300 series austenitic stainless is going to be corrosion resistant but soft, the 400 series martensitic stainless is going to be hard but corrodes easier. Buck uses 420 I believe and make it work, cressi uses 420 but apparently rusts. 440C is the ultimate in edge retention - more carbon. Austenite is non magnetic, martensite is magnetic.

Andrew: H1 is essentially an austenitic stainless that is work hardened by cold deformation to convert it to more of a martensitic structure. Thus it has good corrosion resistance but still not quite up to the hardness/edge retention of a 400 series.
There are some EDC neck knives made from powder metal tech that have both hardness/edge holding and corrosion resistance, but haven't seen a full length one except maybe folding ones. I guess you could epoxy a folder open and build a scabbard. The neck knives could be converted into wrist carry backups.
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Old 10-18-2019, 06:23 PM   #36
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

...Thanks for the responses. Also the knife should be able to cut through 400 lb test mono very easily.

The standard dive knife (riffe, spetton etc) that iv'e used can't slice through 400 with little effort. it takes some torque and i don't want to exert myself if I'm tangled freediving.

I'm thinking wire cutters might be better for this, clip and done. And they can be carried when spearing with cable shooting line which i do at times. Then the knife serves as a backup, or for kelp tangles. If I'm tangled in shooting line i don't want to have to saw back and forth to cut line
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Old 10-18-2019, 06:41 PM   #37
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

...All very interesting posts to consider...However, this isn't rocket science. For 50 years, I have carried cheap ss bait knives from stores like Turners or the Fred Hall show at $3 or $4 each. I carry 5 in my tool box at all times for both fishing and diving use. Have lost a few over the years but, no regrets like I would have for that $50 showy custom knife guys like to buy. The bait knife does the 3 things most critical to divers. The sharp point stones fish; the sawtooth edge cuts tough mono, net, thick kelp stalks, etc and the sharp edge cuts thru rope, shooting line and smaller kelp strand bunches. It is also compact, reducing hangups when inside kelp beds.
...I usually carry two, in case one gets dropped or falls out somehow, which can happen suddenly when the action is going full throttle. Have used them several times to cut my way out of line or kelp tangles with success, but, mostly to stone big fish or, to cut gills to bleed out gamefish enroute back to the boat. But, as most discussions illustrate, it all comes down to personal preferences.
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Old 10-18-2019, 09:57 PM   #38
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

Some posters mentioned carrying the knife on a belt. Is this a BC belt, or a weight belt? Seems to me even a belt with removable pouches for weights would be a bit iffy to carry a primary knife on.
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Old 10-20-2019, 06:59 PM   #39
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

I use two belts, a weight belt and another belt for a knife and anything else that I may be carrying. The photos show my brain surgery knife, my hack their heads off knife and an old Wenoka that you wear on your leg. The latter I don’t use any more, but it had a hefty hammer butt. The two unsheathed knives come totally apart for cleaning, the Wenoka does not and hence has slight rust where the blade and butt disappear into the rubber handle.
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Old 10-20-2019, 10:37 PM   #40
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

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I use two belts, a weight belt and another belt for a knife and anything else that I may be carrying.
I like the sheath for the belt knife with the simple pull tab release. The gear clip hanging from the belt, not so much. If your weight belt has a similar wire buckle, the gear clip might try to grab it - not so fun on ditching. Stray fishing lines and etc. are liable to get snagged as well. I use bolt snaps to hang gear as they seem less likely to snag things:
https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.N10tT...a&pid=Api&rs=1
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Old 10-21-2019, 03:33 AM   #41
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

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I like the sheath for the belt knife with the simple pull tab release. The gear clip hanging from the belt, not so much. If your weight belt has a similar wire buckle, the gear clip might try to grab it - not so fun on ditching. Stray fishing lines and etc. are liable to get snagged as well. I use bolt snaps to hang gear as they seem less likely to snag things:
https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.N10tT...a&pid=Api&rs=1
I have worn this set-up for a couple of decades, only the knives have changed. The weight belt is of the same wire buckle type, but I wear them opposed, so I know which side is which, the second knife belt goes on top. The small clip from the knife belt is to hang a bag while I am persuading a fish to go into it after I have killed it, then the bag goes back on the tow float. Depending on where I am spearing dictates if the fish can dangle around lifelessly in the water or be put in a float so their juices don't leave a trail for unwelcome visitors. With no predators around I often behead and gut the fish in the water, even scaling them as the less I have to do once I get out the better.
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Old 10-22-2019, 01:54 AM   #42
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

There is a lot in this thread but not much comparitive info. Do we have a conclusion as to which knife has the sharpest edge (not point) out of them all?
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Old 10-22-2019, 05:20 AM   #43
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Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

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Originally Posted by TheMackDaddy View Post
There is a lot in this thread but not much comparitive info. Do we have a conclusion as to which knife has the sharpest edge (not point) out of them all?


If you are just talking about the sharpest edge one needs to look at the type of steel used and how it holds an edge over time.
Sharpness itself depends on who and how they blade was sharpened. Angle of the bevel fineness of the edge etc.
Serrated blades are a category on their own.

For a definitive answer we should line up a bunch of knifes and test each one of them by cutting mono , dyneema and some kind of fishing net.
Only such a test would truly show the performance of each blade.

Personally I am very experienced with sharpening so a blade doesn’t need to be perfect out of the box. As long as I can get it in perfect condition that is good enough.
Above I already gave my personal preference.
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Old 10-22-2019, 07:32 AM   #44
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

There is a difference between sharpening and honing, and either process is more difficult for serrated portions of a blade.
Also, there are differences in blade forming technology. The cheapest way to make a blade is to take a piece of sheet metal, punch out the blade shape, and use a grinding wheel to shape just the edge - 'hollow ground'. The real cheap ones only have a shank going half way up the handle. A better tech is forging, where the knife has a thick spine for strength and then gradually tapers towards the edge, with the handle forged in. Powder metallurgy is used for some high tech knives, mostly small ones.
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Old 10-22-2019, 02:37 PM   #45
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Re: Tool to cut yourself out of kelp quickly?

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There is a lot in this thread but not much comparitive info. Do we have a conclusion as to which knife has the sharpest edge (not point) out of them all?
The sharpest edge is the one you put on it after you purchase it. I would suggest that you learn the art of knife sharpening. If you do not want to do that then purchase an expensive serrated blade knife like Riffe sells and just use that.

Here is the one you want:

https://speargun.com/collections/kni...dual-serration
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